Ukiah Ford president says company did submit bid for cop cars

When the Ukiah City Council approved the purchase of three new police vehicles last month, Ukiah Police Chief Chris Dewey said he only received bids from dealerships in Humboldt and Napa counties.

However, Ukiah Ford President Huxley Richardson sent a letter to both Dewey and City Clerk Kristine Lawler this week claiming that his business did want to provide the UPD's new cars.

"We did in fact submit a bid that was hand-carried and personally delivered to the proper city clerk well before the deadline," Richardson wrote in a letter dated Dec. 29. "The misinformation shared at the City Council meeting is a mystery to us, but we did our diligence and thought we met all the terms of the official bid process."

At the Ukiah City Council's last meeting Dec. 18, Dewey requested approval to buy two patrol vehicles and a "command staff vehicle" from Zumwalt Ford in St. Helena.

When a member of the audience addressed the council to say that "special consideration should have been given to Ukiah Ford, even if their bid was more expensive," Dewey said he did not get a bid from that business.

"We did invite Ukiah Ford to bid," Dewey told the council, explaining that only Zumwalt Ford and Harper Motors in Eureka sent in bids. "Ukiah Ford elected not to participate in this bid."

Reached Friday, Dewey confirmed that he was only given two bids, adding that he would be investigating the matter.

City Clerk Lawler said she could not immediately speak to what had happened and also needed to look into the matter.